Balancing device for extractors



@UL m 119% mmm (E I. LIPJK BALANGING DEVICE FOR EXTRACTORS Filed Oct, 25 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Av1 '15A' TOR Patented @et 14, 1F24.

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GEORGE N'. LINK, 00F NORWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MA- CHINERY COMPANY, 01E' CINCIINNATI, 01H10, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

JBALANCING DEVICE FOR EXTRACTORS.

Application tiled .October 25, 1920. Serial No. 419,460.

To all whom t lmay concermj lBe it known that l, GEORGE N. LINK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Balancing Devices for Extractors, of which the following is a" specification.

This invention relates to improvements l@ in centrifugal extractors.

In the operation of centrifugal extractors, as for instance when used in the drying of clothes, etc., considerable difliculty has been experienced because of the lack of l5 balance of the weight placed in the basket of the extractor and the consequent wobbling of the basket upon starting of the machine.' 'lhis is especially true of such extractors when used as a part of the laundering operation because of the very nature of the wet materials which are placed in the basket and which precludes the possibility of such materials distributing themselves with respect to the spindle so as to establish a true balance. That is to say, materials of certain classes will distribute themselves through centrifugal action during the operation of the extractor so as to bring the center of gravity of the load into the line of the axis of the spindle andv in this way automatically overcome the wobbling of the basket or container.. Such ready automatic distribution is, however, not possible with such materials as wet clothes land ittherefore becomes necessary tov resort to some particular means for restoring true balance of the load with respect to the spindle.

Accordingly it is the object of this into vention to provide a means for automatically establishing and maintaining true balance of the load lin the basket with respect to the axis of the spindle, and furthermore, to provide a means for accomplishing such te result which will readily respond to the' operation of the` spindle, or, in other words, a means which will be actuated by centrifugal force.

llt is furthermore the object of this in` o vention to provide an oil supply with means for automatically pumping oil for lubrication of the spindle during the operation of the same.

It is also an object of this invention to e provide a ball and socket connection between the spindle and the main supporting frame, together with means for preventing rotary motion between the ball and the socket of such joint, or, yin other words, to allow relative motion between the ball and socket members only in a direction substantially transverse to the axis of the spindle.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description andclaims when considered togetherwith the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my invention with the curb in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the' lower portion of the basket; Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the plane of line 3- -3, of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in the plane of line 4 4, in Figs. l and 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section in the plane of line 5 5, of Figs.` 1 75 and 3; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section in the plane of line 6 6, of Figs. 1 and 2.

Extending upwardly from the curb 1 is the main frame 2 upon which is supported the socket member 3 for co-operation with the ball member 4, these two members together constituting a ball and socket joint for the spindle 5. Upon the lower end of the spindle 5 is mounted the basket 5 in which are loaded the materials to be dried. The engagement of pin` 3 carried by the socket member 3 in the slot 4 formed in the ball member 4 prevents rotary movement between the ball and socket members and permits relative motion between these two members only in a direction transversely of the axis of the spindle. The power for operation of the spindle is provided by means of a belt 6 which drives the pulley wheel 7 mounted upon the upper end of the spindle 5. Thrust collars 8 are provided between the hub of the pulley 7 and the hub 9 of the ball member 4, and an oil chamber 10 with fibrous packing 11 sur- 4 rounds the connection at this point. @il holes 12 are provided in the thrustcollars 8. The hub 9 is provided with an oil groove 13 which has communication Aat its lower end portion with the pipe 14 which in turn terminates at its lower ,end within the oil'105 reservoir 15;" The reservoir 15 surrounds and is fixed, upon the spindle at the lower end of the hub 9. A sleeve 16 having a spiral oil groove 17 is provided between the hub 9 and the spindle. The oil pipe 14 is 110 clamped at 18 to the hub 9. The oil reservoir 15 has an annular opening 15 through which extends the lower end of the oil pipe 14, thereby permitting rotation of the oil reservoir 15 with the spindle without interference with the pipe 14.

Upon the upwardly extending bracket arm 19 is pivotally mounted the brake arm 20'carrying t-he brake shoe 21 for engagement with the pulley 7. The clevis 22 which is pivotally connected at its one end to t-he arm 20 has screw thread engagement at its other end'with the screw 23 upon which is threaded an adjusting nut 24 against which labuts one end of the spring 25. This spring 25 surrounds the bolt extension ofthe screw 23 and is manipulated by means of wheel 26v whichl is mounted in the upwardly extending bracket arm 27.

Upon the lower end of the spindle 5 and below the basket 5 are loosely mounted the arms 28 carrying the weights 29. Upon operation of the extractor, the weighted arms 28, by virtue of centrifugal force, will distribute themselves about the axis of the spindle in such a manner as to eflect a counterbalancing of the overloaded portion of the basket. That is to say, any lack of balance of the loaded basket due to the unequal distribution of the materials with respect to the axis of the spindle will be compensated by the action of the weighted arms 28 which will automatically adjust themselves about the axis of the spindle wit-h the result that the center of gravity of the loaded basket will be restored to a line through the axis of the spindle. 'In this way the wobbling of the basket due to the unequal distribution of Iits load is quickly and positively corrected. In case, however, the weight in the basket is properly balanced about the axis of the spindle with the result that there is no wobbling of the basket, the weighted arms 28 will automatically adjust themselves so as to be equally spaced about the spindle.

It will also be seen that oil is automatically pumped by centrifugal action from the reservoir 15 through the pipe 14 up throu h the grooves 13 and 17 and through t e thrust collars 8 into the oil chamber 10.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I ysaid basket through the have provided a simple and yet an efficient means of correcting the wobbling of an extractor wit-h the accompanying advantage of reducing wear upon the parts which means prolonged life of the mechanism and therefore a decided saving in cost. Other advantages flowing from this invention will be apparent to those who are familiar with the art to which it relates.

Having described my invention, I- claim:

1. In an extractor, a basket, a spindle for rotating said basket, means for operating said spindle, and a rotatably mounted Weighted arm having the same constant axis of rotation as said spindle for automatically establishing and maintaining the center of gravity of said basket through the axis of said spindle.

2. In an extractor, a basket, a spindle for rotating said basket, means for operating said spindle, and rotatably mounted weights having the same constant axis of rotation as said spindle for automatically establishing and maintaining the center of gravity of said basket` through the axis of said spindle.

3. In an extractor, a basket, a spindle for rotatin said basket, means for operating said spindle, and weighted arms rotatably mounted about the axis of said spindle and having the same constant axis of rotation as said spindle for automatically establishing and maintaining ythe center of gravity of axis of said spindle.

4. An extractor, comprising a suitable support, a rotary basket and spindle mounted to oscillate about a center on said support, and balancing means for said basket and spindle, comprising a series of arms mounted for free rotation upon said spindle beneath the center of oscillation.

5. An extractor, comprising a suitable support, a rotary basket and spindle mounted to oscillate about a center on said support, and balancing means for said basket and spindle, comprising a series of arms mounted for free rotation upon said spindle beneath the Work receiving chamber in said basket.

|In testimony whereof I hereby aix my signature.

GEORGE N. LINK. 

